Press
Marketplace: Brexit: Let's call the whole thing off?
02 November 2017
Is Britain having second thoughts about Brexit? And if it fails to secure a satisfactory exit deal, could it call the whole thing off? “I think it’s possible but unlikely,” said John Springford of the pro-Europe Centre for European Reform. “If we were going to reverse Brexit without a huge backlash, there would have to be quite a significant shift in public opinion. But we’ve had lots and lots of opinion polls, and they all produce a similar result as last year’s referendum: about fifty-fifty,” Springford said.
BBC Radio 4: Europe Unbound
31 October 2017
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform speaks to Edward Stourton about how the European Union might change after Britain leaves. "The wind is back in Europe's sails", according to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
What explains the "Brexodus" from DExEU?
31 October 2017
Prospect
The Department for Exiting the European Union has slowly haemorrhaged civil servants ever since its inception last year.
He wants it - but can't have it! Germany will NOT give Juncker his federal EU superstate
31 October 2017
The Express
Think-tank boss Charles Grant said that Germany will not let Juncker get away with his “delusional” EU vision, which includes allowing the richer northern Europe to pay for the poorer areas of southern Europe. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced his plans in September for a united European super bloc. Mr Juncker’s plans include taking power away from member states and introducing an overall president. Mr Grant, who is the Director of the Centre for European Reform, told BBC Radio 4: “[Juncker] believes that the Eurozone, in order to survive, needs to federalise.
NUPI: Brexit and implications for the EU, EEA and Norway
30 October 2017
Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska of the CER spoke on Brexit and the British perspective’, whilst René Repasi (University of Rotterdam), Christophe Hillion (UIO/NUPI), Baldur Thorhallsson (University of Iceland), Niels Engelshiøn (MFA) spoke about Norway, Iceland and the EU.
A White House that is no longer political: Paul Manafort's indictment, in the big picture
30 October 2017
Inquisitr
When asked to comment on Russia and the rise of populist movements in America and the EU, Ian Bond, a former adviser to NATO and director of Foreign Policy at the CER in London, expressed a similar opinion. “I basically agree with Mark. The Kremlin has not created these discontents or these movements. The problems of inequality, the problems of alienation and loss of trust in the political process were there before Vladimir Putin came to power, and they have probably intensified in recent years, certainly since the 2008 economic crisis…This is the weakness of Western society. The extent to which Russia has exploited the different populist movements is variable.”
The Waugh Zone: Brexit door
30 October 2017
The Huffington Post
For an interesting forecast of what will happen on the EU talks, the Centre for European Reform’s Charles Grant has written 10 Predictions of how the summit will work out. He’s a firm pro-European (and is not infallible) but some of his points will cheer up ministers (in sum, we will get a deal). Note that he warns however that the best trade deal we can hope for is a ‘Canada-plus’ that would require more cash and compliance with EU and ECJ rulings to allow our all-important service sector to continue to do business. And if the City isn’t to suffer, we may have to be rule-takers, not rule-makers.
Bringt uns Jamaika die Europäische Armee?
26 October 2017
The European
So existiere in der europäischen Rüstungsindustrie „kein Binnenmarkt, sondern Zersplitterung, Duplizität und Protektionismus,“ stellt Sophia Besch vom Centre for European Reform (CER, London) fest.
CER podcast: Should we learn to live with a nuclear North Korea?
25 October 2017
Sophia Besch talks to Ian Bond about how likely it is that North Korea can be prevented from getting a strategic nuclear capability, the usefulness of sanctions against Pyongyang, and what to expect from President Trump’s forthcoming visit to Asia.
Debate: Will the euro survive as a currency long term?
23 October 2017
City A.M.
Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, says YES.
Theresa May chce pomocy od Brukseli
23 October 2017
Rzeczpospolita
Obie strony tych negocjacji muszą wyjść ze swojej strefy komfortu. Unii opłaca się, żeby May pozostała na swoim stanowisku – uważa Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska, ekspertka Centre for European Reform (CER) w Londynie. Bruksela od początku wyznaczyła korzystną dla siebie sekwencję negocjacji: najpierw warunki rozwodu, potem rozmawiamy o przyszłych relacjach. To jednak jest bardzo trudne do przyjęcia dla Londynu, który stanie przed ogromnym problemem poinformowania swoich obywateli, że wyjście z UE będzie ich kosztowało dziesiątki miliardów euro.
BBC Radio 4: Profile of Martin Selmayr
22 October 2017
Charles Grant speaks to Radio 4 about Martin Selmayr (from 10.40 mins) and how Selmayr is committed to a more integrated Europe.
UK in 'cloud cuckoo land': EU insider says Brexit trade talks ten times harder than bill
21 October 2017
The Express
Charles Grant, who has close ties to officials in both the British Government and the EU Commission, warned that the current deadlocked Brexit talks are "ten times easier" than what will come next year. The director of the Centre for European Reform warned that getting to the second phase of Brexit talks is only the beginning of the real battle in leaving the EU. He revealed that EU officials will be "much tougher" than the British Government realises on the future relationship. Mr Grant added that officials in Brussels believe the UK is in "cloud-cuckoo land" over their naivety regarding trade talks.
France 24: Much more work to be done after Brexit summit
21 October 2017
“Officials I talk to, in both the UK government and the European Commission, are fairly optimistic that in December the EU will declare that sufficient progress has been made [to move onto phase two]," said Charles Grant, an analyst at the Centre for European Reform in London, in an interview with FRANCE 24. “But of course that is not certain," he added.
With hardcore Brexiteers urging 'no deal', Labour's duty is clear
20 October 2017
The Guardian
If that sounds relatively smooth, think again. The current phase will be “a picnic in the park compared to the bloody battlefield of what’s ahead”, says Charles Grant, of the Centre for European Reform. Not least because May and her cabinet have never agreed on what the future UK-EU relationship should look like. The premature triggering of article 50 meant Britain entered negotiations not knowing what it wanted: never a smart move.
LSE public lecture: Hard Brexit, soft Brexit, no Brexit?
19 October 2017
2016 was unquestionably a year of political and economic shocks with Brexit and the election of President Trump. The UK elections in June 2017 created further difficulties for the Brexit negotiations with the Conservative and Democratic Unionist party agreement which left the Brexit process in uncertain territory.
Britain confronts tough German line on Brexit
19 October 2017
Financial Times
“The Germans are very focused on the money and do not appear too bothered about the impact on British politics of their holding out,” added Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank. “They are convinced a firm line is in the EU’s interests.”
Deal or no deal, there's no number in the Brexit box that will please the British public
19 October 2017
The Metro
The Centre For European Reform (CER) says the total cost could be between 2.2% (£40bn) and could reach 9% of GDP (£180bn) a year, anti-EU Business For Britain says it would cost £7.4bn a year.
Judy Asks: Does May need Merkel for a Brexit deal?
18 October 2017
Carnegie Europe
No, Theresa May needs to impose some discipline and unity on her own troops in order to achieve a workable deal.
What to do with a problem like Turkey
17 October 2017
Financial Times
Luigi Scazzieri, at the Centre for European Reform, thinks it's time for some creative thinking on a new EU-Turkey relationship: "The EU should keep the accession process alive to avoid accelerating the negative spiral in bilateral relations. At the same time it should attempt to formulate a new framework for a partnership with Turkey. If, as is possible, the EU moves towards a membership made up of several tiers, there would be space for countries to be associated with certain elements of the Union but not others – in other words some form of associate membership. Turkey could aspire to join an outer ring, perhaps with deep access to the single market but no freedom of movement."